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Accomplishments

With a strong emphasis on the student experience, the SEM plan makes strategic enhancements in six core areas.

Academic Affairs

Goal: Understand curricular and program needs based on student and market demand.

Key Accomplishments:

  • Completed the Academic Advising LEAN project and Educause’s Data Strategy Institute for Advising, leveraging results as valuable resources to enhance student outcomes through transformational advising.
     
  • Engaged in persona and journey activities to gather insights from students and advisors, leading to the development of future student advising action plans.
Data & Technology

Goal: Improve data efficiencies and enhance technology support to increase student success.

Key Accomplishments:

  • Introduced case management software to optimize student communications by consolidating interactions into a single stream.
     
  • Launched the Slate admissions application, CRM and applicant portal, significantly improving the student experience from communications and event registration to application and admission.
     
  • Implemented a robust Data Lake, leveraging Slate's enhanced functionality, to create an up-to-date, user-friendly admissions dashboard that tracks prospective student behavior and engagement.
Enrollment, Access & Completion

Goal: Develop an optimal enrollment plan focusing on academic program alignment, net tuition growth and student aid optimization to increase access and completion.

Key Accomplishments:

  • Developed an annual marketing plan for personalized interactions with admitted and prospective students.
     
  • Established purposeful communication strategies for segmented audiences.
     
  • Created a toolkit to address student barriers.
     
  • Promoted collaboration between regional campuses.
     
  • Introduced Scholarship Universe, a search portal that matches students to scholarships.
     
  • Launched the Flash Credit Estimator (FCE), a self-service portal for prospective transfer students to assess credit transfer and estimate time to degree completion at С»ÆƬÊÓƵ.
External Visibility & Brand Awareness

Goal: Strengthen university brand with internal and external stakeholders to improve market position.

Key Accomplishments:

  • Employed a longitudinal approach to analyze brand attitudes and awareness among segmented audiences, assess market positioning and explore growth opportunities.
     
  • Developed a prioritized action plan to enhance the functionality and effectiveness of the С»ÆƬÊÓƵ website and other sites within the kent.edu domain.
Fiscal Sustainability

Goal: Enhance and diversify financial position while reducing complexity and gaining greater efficiencies.

Key Accomplishments:

  • Launched an extensive review across eight campuses to eliminate scholarship barriers.
     
  • Seamlessly integrated university-wide financial aid awarding processes and software.
Student Support Services & Co-Curricular Experiences

Goal: Become a student ready college, enhance the student experience throughout the lifecycle and improve post enrollment metrics.

Key Accomplishments:

  • Conducted a benchmark analysis of the One Stop for Student Services, compared to other universities, and enlisted a consultant to conduct an external assessment.
     
  • Rebranded the One Stop for Student Services as the Financial, Billing and Enrollment Center with a new, simplified website and chatbot.
     
  • Introduced personalized videos for newly admitted students, explaining financial aid offers.​